These cherry pie oatmeal bars are INSANELY delicious! It’s like cherry pie in a bar you can hold. A buttery-tasting oat crust, a jammy filling made from frozen cherries and maple syrup, and a crumbly oat topping. No canned pie filling needed. They take 20 minutes to prep and make 9 bars.
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Cherry pie, but make it a snack
Picture this: it’s that long afternoon stretch, you’re dragging, and you remember there’s a cherry pie oatmeal bar waiting for you. Present You thanks Past You. Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but these really are such a treat!!
The filling is my favorite part. Instead of a can of pie filling, you simmer frozen cherries with a little maple syrup and lemon juice, mash them up, and thicken it with arrowroot. It turns jammy and bright and tastes SO much fresher.
Frozen cherries also mean you can make these any time of year. No pitting, no waiting for cherry season!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Real cherry filling made from frozen cherries, no can required
- One dough for the crust AND the crumble topping
- Sweetened with maple syrup for a cozy, warm flavor
- Great for snacks or dessert, especially with a scoop of ice cream
- Make ahead friendly for the week
Erin's Expert Tips
From my kitchen to yours
- Save the topping first. Set aside ¾ cup of dough before you press the rest into the pan so you have enough for a full crumble on top.
- Mash the cherries as they warm. Once they start releasing juice, press them with a potato masher or fork so the filling spreads evenly.
- Let the filling thicken. Simmer for the full 5 to 7 minutes after adding the arrowroot. A runny filling makes soggy bars.
- Cool before cutting. The filling keeps setting as the bars cool. Patience = clean squares!
Ingredients for cherry oatmeal bars
The crust and topping use the same simple dough, and the filling is just 4 ingredients. Full amounts are in the recipe card below!
For the oat crust and crumble:
- Rolled oats: Old fashioned oats give the bars that chewy, oaty texture.
- White whole wheat flour: Helps the crust hold together.
- Salt and cinnamon: A little warmth that tastes so good with cherries.
- Egg: Binds the dough.
- Maple syrup: Sweetens the crust.
- Coconut oil: Melted. It makes the crust crisp at the edges.
- Vanilla: For that bakery flavor.
For the cherry filling:
- Frozen cherries: A 10 oz bag. No need to thaw!
- Lemon juice: Brightens up the cherry flavor.
- Maple syrup: Sweetens the filling.
- Arrowroot powder: Thickens the cherries. Cornstarch works too.
How to make cherry pie oatmeal bars
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 pan with parchment. Mix the oats, flour, salt, and cinnamon in one bowl and whisk the egg, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla in another. Stir the dry into the wet until a dough forms.
Set aside ¾ cup of the dough and press the rest into the bottom of the pan.
Warm the cherries, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a saucepan, mashing the cherries as they release their juice. Whisk in the arrowroot and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until thick. Pour it over the crust, crumble the saved dough on top, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the questions I get most about these cherry bars!
Yes! Pit them first and use about the same amount. Fresh cherries may need a minute or two less on the stove since they release juice faster.
You can, and it’s the easier route on a busy day. Skip the stovetop step and spread about 1 ½ cups of pie filling over the crust. Keep in mind canned filling is sweeter.
Usually the filling didn’t simmer long enough or the bars were cut while warm. Let the filling get thick on the stove and cool the bars completely before slicing.
Use certified gluten-free oats and swap the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
Storing cherry oatmeal bars
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They’re great cold or at room temperature!
If you tried this recipe or any other recipes on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Follow @erinliveswhole on Instagram and tag me in any of the recipes you make so I can repost them!
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 oz bag frozen cherries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8 with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats (1.5 cups), flour (1 cup), salt (¼ tsp) and cinnamon (½ tsp).
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg (1), maple syrup (⅓ cup), coconut oil (½ cup), and vanilla (1 tsp).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until dough forms.
- Save ¾ cup of the dough off to the side and press the remaining dough into the bottom of 8x8 pan. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat cherries (10 oz), lemon juice (1 tbsp), and maple syrup (3 tbsp). Once cherries start to release liquid press them down with a potato masher or fork to break them up.
- Add in arrowroot powder (2 tsp) and whisk. The arrowroot will help to thicken the cherries.
- Let simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. The mixture should thicken up after simmering on the heat for a little.
- Pour cherry mixture over crust dough. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup dough on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Nutrition
Per serving. Nutrition is an estimate.
Leave a star rating below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!
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Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Madison says
Can you use fresh cherries? I have a whole bag that no one is eating and I’d love to make this so they don’t go bad!
Erin says
Hi Madison, yep! Let me know how your bars come out!!
Debb says
Hi Erin! These look great and healthy. Can I substitute avocado oil for coconut oil?
Erin says
Hi Debb, yep! That should work. Let me know how your bars come out! 🙂
Janice Smith says
I loved these bars. I used apricot preserves, and it was very good.
Erin says
Hi Janice, so happy you loved them and made them your own! 🙂
Kristen Robertson says
These are so healthy and absolutely delicious. I highly recommend them. They are great in combatting my migratory arthritis. I can’t remember when something so tasty was so good for you!!!!!
Erin says
Hi Kristen, so happy you loved them so much! 🙂
Emily says
Can you freeze these? They look so good I want to make them but I use put my bake goods in the freezer and pull them out in the week or two to share with family and friends.
Erin says
Hi Emily, yep, just keep them in an airtight container! Enjoy!
Ella says
Can I use almond flour, instead of whole wheat flour?
Erin says
Hi Ella, unfortunately not, sorry!! It won't come out the same.
Sarah F says
I have a bag of tart cherries… how would you recommend modifying so they come out sweet enough?
Erin says
Hi Sarah, just add a little more sweetener! let me know how they come out!
Kristin says
Hi Erin! Just wondering how much maple syrup gets mixed with the wet ingredients, and how much for the cherries? Do we just split it? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Kristin, in step 3 you mix 1/3 c of maple syrup and step 6 is the 3 tbsp. It is broken out in ingredients section between dough base and cherry filling and then at the bottom in the recipe card too!! Hope this helps!!
Katie says
I made them with fresh cherries from the farmers market. Turned out absolutely delicious! I had leftover batter (I tripled the recipe) so I did the same thing with peaches from the farmers market too. I haven't tried it yet but it looks really good.
Erin says
Hi Katie, so happy you loved them and great idea using fresh cherries and peaches! Yum!!
Kellen says
Made with freshly picked peaches but still turned out fantastic!
Erin says
Hi Kellen, ah what a great idea! So happy you loved them and made them your own!!
olivia r says
can i use cherry preserves from a jar instead of making my own? how much would i need to use?
Erin says
Hi Olivia, yes that should be fine, and I would try the same amount. Let me know how the bars come out!
Lauren says
Took these to a bbq today..they were a huge hit! Topped them with some vanilla Fronen ice cream! Delicious!
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so glad everyone loved them and GREAT idea!
Ally says
AH-MAZING! I love love love cherry and these are so delicious! I definitely need to double the batch next time!
Erin says
Hi Ally, so glad you loved them!!
Danielle says
These look delicious! My son is allergic to coconut oil though, can I just substitute with melted vegan butter (the butter we use)?
Erin says
Hi Danielle, that should work. I have not tried that sub so let me know how it comes out!
Dasha says
Hi!! Super excited to try these for breakfast bars ☺️ I noticed they were tagged as gluten free, but didn’t see which flour would work best. My guess would be oat flour but wanted to check if you had a rec! Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Dasha, thanks and ah my mistake! I tagged them gluten-free by accident. I fixed it, but you can make them gluten-free if you want to use another type of flour like oat! Thanks for catching!
Mary Slocum says
I’m confused. I always thought whole wheat flour had gluten. Is there a specific type or brand I need to look for?
Erin says
Hi Mary, oops! I accidentally checked the gluten-free box, but it should be fixed now. These are not gluten-free. You can definitely make them GF though and sub another type of flour. Thanks for catching!